Jakhar demands Maluka's dismissal

Leader of opposition and senior Congress MLA Sunil Jakhar has demanded dismissal of Punjab education minister Sikander Singh Maluka besides a probe either by the CBI or a high court judge into the scandal unearthed in purchase of books under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

In a joint statement, Jakhar and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) vice-president Gurpreet Singh Kangar also raised questions over the "deep silence" of the BJP, ally of Maluka's party SAD, "which never misses a chance to disturb Parliament in the garb of demanding action on corruption cases".

"It's high time to minutely probe the several million rupees of grant sent by the Centre in the past to let the common know where their hard-earned money has gone," the leaders demanded. "If the SAD-BJP government does not order an independent probe, we will knock the door of the Punjab and Haryana high court."

They also questioned the silence of director general, school education (DGSE) Kahan Singh Pannu when the scam was taking place by diverting the SSA funds to a cement pipe trader who posed as a book supplier.